Authority upholds complaints against five ads for indecency

A complaint that an advertisement for a yoghurt drink depicted "sexual fondling" with a "hint of group sex" has been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland.

However, another complaint - that an ad for a golf magazine, picturing a woman golfer kissing a phallic-shaped trophy was "offensive" - was dismissed.

A poster advertisement for Yoplait's "Everybody" is one of five ads deemed to have contravened the decency and propriety grounds of the ASAI code. Ads for paint, condoms, a clothes shop and a computer game were also considered offensive on the same grounds.

Eighteen ads were found to be in breach of the codes of advertising standards.

The Yoplait poster features a back view of the upper half of a naked woman being touched by two pairs of hands, other than her own. Complainants said the poster was "out of place in the view of children; insulting and demeaning to women, and treated the human person as a mere object used to sell products".

While this charge was upheld on the decency and propriety grounds, a complaint against Golf Ireland magazine on the same grounds was not.

The ad, which is accompanied by the slogan, "We all have our golfing regrets . . ." features golfer Christie Kerr kissing a glass trophy described in the complaint - made by Walton Media, publishers of Golfing Union of Ireland official magazine - as being "in the shape of a penis".

The ASAI said that as it had only received one complaint, the picture did not appear to have caused "grave or widespread offence".

A poster for Durex Performa condoms which featured the words "roger more" spelt out with condoms with the slogan, "Durex Performa. Made to make you last longer", was upheld on grounds it was likely to cause widespread offence. However, the allegation that it "promoted promiscuity" was dismissed.

A billboard advertising Sandtex paint was also considered to have breached the decency and propriety code.

In the ad, an older woman is pictured looking out the window of a house. On the wall of the house is the image of a tin of paint beneath the words, "For longer-lasting good looks".

The Age and Opportunity group had complained that the ad implied "that the woman's looks had not lasted and that this was amusing".

The ASAI highlighted its concern that it had received 36 complaints that the Eircom advertising campaign for its I-stream broadband services was "misleading". An Eircom spokeswoman said the company was surprised by the judgment as Eircom had "worked very closely" with the ASAI in drawing up the ad.